Feasibility of honeycomb monolith supported sugar catalyst to produce biodiesel from palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD)

Carbon coated monolith was prepared by sucrose solution 65 wt.% via dip-coating method. Sulfonation of incomplete carbonized carbon coated monolith was carried out in order to synthesize solid acid catalyst. The textural structure characteristics of the solid acid catalyst demonstrated a low surface area and pore volume. Palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD), a by-product of palm oil refineries, was utilized as oil source in biodiesel production. The esterification reaction subjected to different reaction conditions was performed by using the sulfonated carbon coated monolith as heterogeneous catalyst. The sulfonation process had been performed by using vapour of concentrated H₂SO₄ that was much easier and efficient than liquid phase sulfonation. Total acidity value of carbon coated monolith was measured for unsulfonated sample (0.5 mmol/g) and sulfonated sample (4.2 mmol/g). The effect of methanol/oil ratio, catalyst amount and reaction time were examined. The maximum methyl ester content was 89% at the optimum condition, i.e. methanol/oil molar ratio (15:1), catalyst amount (2.5 wt.% with respect to PFAD), reaction time (240 min) and temperature 80 °C. The sugar catalyst supported on the honeycomb monolith showed comparable reactivity compared with the sugar catalyst powder. However, the catalyst reusability studies showed decrease in FFA% conversion from 95.3% to 68.8% after four cycles as well as the total acidity of catalyst dropped from the value 4.2 to 3.1 mmol/g during these cycles. This might be likely due to the leaching out of SO₃H group from the sulfonated carbon coated monolith surface. The leaching of active species reached a plateau state after fourth cycle.     

从自燃煤矸石中提取聚合铝铁(PAFC)的试验研究

采用盐酸酸浸的方法从自燃煤矸石中提取聚合铝铁，对煤矸石的粉碎粒径、酸浸盐酸的浓度及用量、酸浸的温度等工艺条件进行了试验研究。结果表明，从100g自燃煤矸石中，可提取19．85g固体聚合铝铁，成品的Al2O3含量33％、Fe2O3含量16％、盐基度70％。     

Evaluation of the biodegradability of copolyesters containing aromatic compounds by investigations of model oligomers

Model oligo esters of terephthalic acid with 1,2-ethanediol, 1,3-propanediol, and 1,4-butanediol have been investigated with regard to their biodegradability in different biological environments. Well-characterized oligomers with weight-average molar masses of from 600 to 2600 g/mol exhibit biodegradation in aqueous systems, soil, and compost at 60°C. SEC investigations showed a fast biological degradation of the oligomer fraction consisting of 1 or 2 repeating units, independent of the diol component used for polycondensation, while polyester oligomers with degrees of polymerization higher than 2 were stable against microbial attack at room temperature in a time frame of 2 months. At 60°C in a compost environment chemical hydrolysis also degrades chains longer than two repeating units, resulting in enhanced degradability of the oligomers. Metabolization of the monomers and the dimers as well by the microorganisms could be confirmed by comparing SEC measurements and carbon balances in a Sturm test experiment. Based on these results degradation characteristics of potential oligomer intermediates resulting from a primary chain scission from copolyesters consisting of aromatic and aliphatic dicarbonic acids can be predicted depending on their composition. These results will have an evident influence on the evaluation of the biodegradability of commercially interesting copolyesters and lead to new ways of tailor-made designing of new biodegradable materials as well.     

Rapid amino acid cycling in arctic and antarctic soils

Amino acids constitute one of the largest inputs of organic nitrogen (N) to most polar soils and have been hypothesized to be important in regulating vegetational succession and productivity in Arctic ecosystems. Our understanding of amino acid cycling in these soils, however, is poor. The aim of this study was to investigate the size and rate of turnover of the amino acid pool in a range of Arctic and Antarctic soils. Our results indicate that in polar soils with either high or low ornithogenic inputs the amino acid pool is small in comparison to the inorganic N pool (NO^–₃ and NH⁺₄). The free amino acid pool constituted only a small proportion of the total dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) pool in these soils. Here we show that these low concentrations may be due to rapid use by the soil microbial community in both Arctic and Antarctic soils. The turnover of the amino acid pool in soil was extremely rapid, with a half-life ranging from 2 to 24 h, indicating that this N pool can be turned over many hundred times each summer when polar soils are frequently unfrozen. The implications of amino acids in N cycling and plant and microbial nutrition are discussed.     

Applying metabolic fingerprinting to ecology: The use of Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy for the rapid screening of plant responses to N deposition

The potential for metabolic fingerprinting via Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy to provide a novel approach for the detection of plant biochemical responses to N deposition is examined. An example of spectral analysis using shoot samples taken from an open top chamber (OTC) experiment simulating wet ammonium deposition is given. Sample preparation involved oven drying and homogenisation via mill grinding. Slurries of a consistent dilution were then prepared prior to FT-IR analysis. Spectra from control, 8 and 16 kg N ha^–1 yr^–1 treatments were then subjected to cross-validated discriminant function analysis. Ordination diagrams showed clear separation between the three N treatments examined. The potential for using Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull as a bioindicator of N deposition is further evident from these results. The results also clearly demonstrate the power of FT-IR in discriminating between subtle phenotypic alterations in overall plant biochemistry as affected by ammonium pollution.     

Mechanical and Barrier Properties of Biodegradable Films Made from Chitosan and Poly (Lactic Acid) Blends

Biodegradable film blends of chitosan with poly(lactic acid) (PLA) were prepared by solution mixing and film casting. The main goal of these blends is to improve the water vapor barrier of chitosan by blending it with a hydrophobic biodegradable polymer from renewable resources. Mechanical properties of obtained films were assessed by tensile test. Thermal properties, water barrier properties, and water sensitivity were studied by differential scanning calorimeter analysis, water vapor permeability measurements, and surface-angle contact tests, respectively. The incorporation of PLA to chitosan improved the water barrier properties and decreased the water sensitivity of chitosan film. However, the tensile strength and elastic modulus of chitosan decreased with the addition of PLA. Mechanical and thermal properties revealed that chitosan and PLA blends are incompatible, consistent with the results of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis that showed the absence of specific interaction between chitosan and PLA.     

金沙江对硫酸的缓冲性能分析

本文分析了金沙江对硫酸的缓冲特征，建立了江水的缓冲曲线方程，并且验证了此方程的有效性，证明用此方程预测硫酸进入金沙江后江水pH值的变化情况，其预测准确度在0.2个pH单位内。     

土壤矿物固定态铵研究进展

主要从土壤中粘土矿物组成、有机物质、土壤水分、Fe的氧化还原、钾素状况及土壤粘粒的不同层面电荷、净表面电荷、表面电荷均匀性等方面就土壤中固定态铵的固定机制及其对作物的有效性的影响进行了综述;并对近年来土壤中固定态铵的测定方法作一评述。     

氯酚与富里酸的缔合作用

本文用超滤膜方法证实氯酚与富里酸之间存在缔合作用,并计算出表观缔合常数在２．７＊１０＾３－－１２１＊１０＾３ｍｌ．ｇ＾－１范围内。实验结果表明”ＰＨ、富里酸含量,氯酚取代氯原子个数都能够影响Ｋ值的大小。     

利用原生质体诱变技术筛选脱落酸高产菌株

以葡萄孢属TB-3菌株为出发菌株制备其原生质体．在纤维素酶浓度为20g／L,蜗牛酶浓度为3g／L的酶解系统中,25℃酶解3h,其原生质体制备数可达67×105mL-1,在KYM上的再生率为46．1％,在KPDA上的再生率为33．6％,经过3轮原生质体紫外线诱变后回复再生,及对大量再生突变株进行发酵筛选,获得高产稳定株TB－3H8,其发酵液中ABA的质量浓度可达1．4g／L